Pele Cortizo-Burgess joins MEC

6 September, 2012

LONDON & NEW YORK — MEC, www.mecglobal.com, today announced that Pele Cortizo-Burgess is joining MEC as Global Director, Integrated Planning. He starts on September 10th and will be based in New York.

This is a new position for the agency. Pele will be responsible for driving MEC’s Integrated Planning offer, internally and externally. He will report to Mel Varley, Chief Strategy Officer, Global and Marla Kaplowitz, CEO of MEC in North America.

Pele joins from Grey North America where he was Chief Strategy Officer, responsible for a department of 55 people and working for clients such as P&G, Diageo, Pfizer and Canon. As part of the operating team, the agency was recognized by Fast Company in its ‘The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies’ issue in 2010 and 2011.

Melanie Varley, commented: “We’re committed to investing in our strategic leadership and Pele is an excellent example of the strategic firepower that we’re amassing in MEC. Pele’s experience of building and integrating planning across disciplines and connecting it more effectively with the development and activation of content will help us deliver even more effective communication solutions for our clients.”

Pele has worked with some of the world’s most awarded communication and advertising agencies; Saatchi & Saatchi in New Zealand, St Luke’s in the UK, and formidable creative shops Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and Chiat\Day in the US. He’s worked on some of the most popular brands in the world including Coca Cola, PlayStation, Nike and Elizabeth Arden.

Marla Kaplowitz, commented: “It’s a fantastic testament to the creativity and strategic ambition of MEC that Pele has elected to join the team. In today’s changing communications world it is imperative that we deliver step change in strategic leadership for our clients. Pele will be charged to work with our global client leaders to drive thought leadership, creativity and strategic development for our clients and we look forward to exciting developments together.”

Pele Cortizo-Burgess said: “I’ve been extremely fortunate throughout my career to work with some inspirational agencies and agency leaders. And MEC absolutely fits this mould. The agency has a strong heritage in integrated planning and innovation with a multi-faceted portfolio of clients around the world. I’m really excited to be joining the team.”

Prior to joining Grey, Pele was Director of Creative Strategy and Board Member Global Content at ITV in the UK where he was not only responsible for the design and implementation business vision, mission and values identity for the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster; but also for the overhaul of the company’s global identity, ITV Studios.

Pele is a member of the faculty at the Miami Ad School, teaching Account Planning and Creative Development across many of the campuses in the US. In addition for the past couple of years he has taught classes within the 4A’s program focusing on the next generation of business leaders; and is a regular judge for the 4A’s effectiveness awards in the US and abroad. His work has been recognized and celebrated through the numerous receipts of Effies, Chiat\Day Planning awards and of course Cannes Lions - both for creativity and effectiveness.